Soulful स्कूल | Session 5 | Santhya Vikram - Yellow Train School, Coimbatore

A passionate educator, dreamer, believer and a crusader for the cause of children. Santhya Vikram is deeply moved by the need for renewal in the human spirit and in education. She believes that something must change in the world, as we know and live in, today. And that the children will be the bringers of this new dawn. She believes in an education that is forming, life giving and nourishing.

When she was 12, she read - Totto Chan - an endearing Japanese tale of how one man’s love could transform the destiny of the children in his fold during the darkest times of the second world war. She dreamt of finding a school where every child - with whatever ability, disability or background could belong, and grow to find their purpose in this world. Yellow Train is a manifestation of this dream. “I am enslaved in one vast love affair with the children that I teach…” These words from Sylvia Ashton Warner, comes closest to what I feel when I teach, she says.

Professional Background:

With a graduation in English Literature and a Master’s in Business Management she worked in the Corporate world for over 12 years both in India and Overseas in the area of leadership development and innovation before finding Yellow Train. Over the last ten years as a founder of Yellow Train she has worked in establishing the foundations of the school, building the school community and championing the cause of children and teachers.

Her Work:

Santhya’s work revolves around the theme of childhood, education, teachers and empowerment of women. Her work around ‘Right to Childhood’ has touched the hearts of many communities of parents and educators. She feels such angst with the mainstream education system that neither keeps the child at the centre nor has any reverence in it. Her work is focussed on reclaiming the sacred in education. She believes that teachers are society’s heroes and if anyone must be considered the backbone of our society, it must be them. Beyond the confines of curriculum and the classroom, her work in teacher development encompasses pedagogy, personal and biographical work, inner life and helps teachers find their authenticity and voice. At the heart of all this endeavour is the deepest conviction that we are supported in this task by the spiritual worlds. And her pursuit of serving the child is bathed in this spiritual light.

She also works with other schools and school leaders in helping them create an ecosystem that puts the child at the heart of it. Santhya Vikram is constantly invited to speak about reforming education in many forums such as The UNESCO conference, the National Conference of CBSE Schools, Top 10 innovative schools at IIM Ahmedabad, Centre for Civil Society, School Choice National Conference etc. She is the recipient of the Award ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Entrepreneur’s Organization with over 13,000 Entrepreneurs in 57 countries. This award comes as a recognition for championing social change.

The School:

Set in a 30 acre organic farm, in an ecologically sustainable green building and a Railway carriage that serves as the library for the whole community, Yellow Train is a Waldorf Inspired School in Coimbatore, India – from Kindergarten to Upper School, with over 50 teachers and 600 children. The school holds in reverence the work of Rudolf Steiner and strives to bring to the children in Yellow Train an essence of wholesome and spiritual education. Yellow Train is consistently ranked in the Top 10 schools in the country by many bodies such as Education World, India Today, Better India, All India Education summit and many other platforms.